Srinagar: Not with standing the tall claims of the government regarding improvement in health sector in the state, the health and medical education department has failed to maintain hygiene in the hospitals.
The Doctors cautioned that Patients at government hospitals were at high risk of infection due to poor hygiene practices.
It is surprising that hospitals associated with the Government medical college in Srinagar as well in Jammu have not been able to maintain cleanliness and hygiene even after having the manpower and funds to do the job. If you will visit the government hospitals like SMHS, Lal Ded, Bone and Joint hospital, GMC Jammu, you will found that things are in a mess. Toilets are littered and a foul smell emanated from every nook and corner. It will not be an exaggeration to say that it is advisable for patients not to go to such toilets on health grounds, one of the senior doctors in Srinagar insisted not to be named told KNS.
He said that such a state of affairs is prevailing despite the fact that the authorities have outsourced cleanliness of hospitals.
The doctors maintained that the Poor and ineffective practice in relation to the use of personal protective equipment, and hand hygiene practices are also very poor in hospitals.
The Doctors said that though they try and educate patients and the sanitation staff about the need to keep clean, but this has to be a collective effort. Repair of roads inside the hospital premises, collection of waste and ensuring that waste is not left unattended should be an ongoing process. Cleaning crew has to be given proper equipment, and be made accountable for the services they are rendering. A doctor posted in Lal Ded hospital told KNS.
He said that we cannot have a biomedical bomb ticking in the yards of the most trusted hospitals and have the surrounding equally dirty with general waste. Hospitals have to shape up and maintain very high standards of cleanliness. We cant have disease coming from within the hospitals, he said.
One of the officials of the health department said that that the authorities have been told to improve things and take measures to fix responsibilities on those not properly maintaining cleanliness and hygiene. We will not tolerate poor hygiene in the hospitals. We have directed the authorities to fix the responsibilities. RMOs have been asked to monitor cleanliness at their respective wards, the officials instead not to be named told KNS.
He added that the instructions have also been issued to the superintendents of the hospitals to pull up their socks and improve things.
However the authorities in the hospitals maintained that the patients are more responsible for the poor hygiene in the hospitals. Despite repeated warnings the patients relatives refuse to throw garbage at designated spots, they said. (KNS)
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